Container with self opening lid

ABSTRACT

A box with a self-opening lid mechanism having a container body with a nib or a fold; a spring-like plate or plates; or a lid with a nib or a fold. The container is opened by pressing a determined point of the container.

The target of this invention is the box introduced in the patent claim 1, which opens by changing its shape, and the latch mechanism for that. Ways to open the box, which bases on chancing the shape, have not been before. Boxes can be practical, but ease-of-use can be enhanced. To this problem, a mechanism of opening and closing the box by a little finger movement, brings the needed usability.

This can be achieved, as stated in the invention, by attaching an elastic sheet (2) or sheets, or fibre, or fibres, or similar with elastic potential energy inside the box, and the latch mechanism, when the box pressed from point (4), the lid of the box opens automatically. For instance by drawings

(FIG. 1A, FIG. 2A, FIG. 3A, FIG. 4A, FIG. 5B, FIG. 6A, FIG. 7A, FIG. 8A, FIG. 9A, FIG. 10B, FIG. 11A, FIG. 12A),

when the box is pressed from the point (4) in the frontside, the lid opens.

According to the invention the elastic sheet (2), or sheets, or fibre, or fibres, or similar, is attached to inside of the box as pictures

(FIG. 1A, FIG. 2A, FIG. 3A, FIG. 4A, FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B, FIG. 6A, FIG. 7A, FIG. 8A. FIG. 9A, FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B, FIG. 11A, FIG. 12A) show, when press the box from the point (4), the lid of the box opens.

When the box is pressed by the finger, the front surface of the box gives up a little bit to the inside, and then sheet (2), or similar opens the lid. If we want more effect for opening, we have to press the box point (4), and other the point (11) in the middle of the back side in the same time. Suitable boxes and bags can be different by model and side, and the latch mechanism can also be different by breadth and height.

Producing boxes using the sheet (2), or sheets, or fibre, or fibres, do not much slow down the speed of production line, in the method of production.

According to the invention the sheet (2), or sheets, or fibre, or fibres, or similar are usually elastic, springy, but it will be also less elastic, which depends the using box type, and the speed of opening lid. The sheet (2), or similar can also be fold up for instance from the upper part, when the sheet is douple, and it will be multiform, which depends the using box. The sheet will be fixed in connection for instance to so-called window, which using in the box, and then it makes fixed structure inside the box, and the window will be in every side in the box. The sheet (2), or sheets, or fibre, or fibres, or similar fastens to the inside of the lid, or to the inside of the box, but only to one or to the other, so that the other end of the sheet (2) can moves free, in the same time, when the lid opens and closes. The sheet (2), or similar can be also without fastens, free in the structure of the box. In some cases, for instance in figures (FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, FIG. 12A, FIG. 12B) the sheet, or same like that part fastens to the box from both ends, and then the other and is fastens in the end of the back side (13), and the other end is in the front of the lid (14), and the other parts of the sheet is unfastened. In the figures (FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, FIG. 12A, FIG. 12B) makes clear, how the sheet (2), or similar opens the lid, and in the same time the sheet (2), or similar pulls a little bit out the contents from the box, and after that it is easy to take contents out. Available thickness of sheet (2), or fibre, or similar depending on also, what is the size and model of the box and the used material. Suitable sheet can be also paper, and it glue to inter side of both lid and box parts. If we use fibres, these install into an upright position like the sheet.

Exactly saying, according to invention for cellulose box covered by plastic or metal or varnish and/or cardboard-,or paperboard-, or microfibre-, or the blend of natural and synthetic material box, or plastic box with selfopening lid and latch mechanism for candy-, cigarette-, cigar-, match-, cosmetic-, perfume-, medicine-, watch-, jewellery-, foodstuff-, and electrical appliance boxes and other solid materials and fashion bags is characteristic that, what has introduced in patent claim 1 in distinctive feature portion.

Following represent the invention which is more exact with pointing out the figures, most of these are cross-sections. In figures (FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, FIG. 1C, FIG. 1D, FIG. 1E, FIG. 1F, FIG. 1G, FIG. 1H, FIG. 1 i) represent the function of latch mechanism, where the folding (FIG. 1B) is installed to upperside in the middle of the box, and the threshold (1) is installed to middle in the front side of the lid (FIG. 1A).

In figures (FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C, FIG. 6D, FIG. 6E, FIG. 6F, FIG. 6G, FIG. 6H) represent the function of latch mechanism, where the folding (FIG. 6B) and the threshold (1) have changed their places, or the folding (FIG. 6B) has installed to middle in the front of the lid, and the threshold (1) has installed to upperside in the middle of the box (FIG. 6A). The function of the latch mechanism has made clear by the figures (FIG. 1G, FIG. 1H, FIG. 1 i), there is the threshold (1) in the lid which slides between the folding (FIG. 1B), the folding is in the frontside (6) in the box, and goes between the threshold, under that, and finally the lid locks up. It is important to see, that the folding (FIG. 1B) on the place (6) and on area (9) (FIG. 1H) collapsing inside, and then we can hear a little snap, when the lid locks up. Same kind of occurrence happens in the figures (FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6F, FIG. 6G, FIG. 6H) that is difference, now the folding (FIG. 6B) is installed to the middle in the front of the lid and the threshold (1) is installed to upperside in the middle of the box. There in the figures has described the structures of the foldings (FIG. 1B, FIG. 6B), where can see that the folding has glued up (FIG. 1D, FIG. 1F, FIG. 6C, FIG. 6E) on the edges of the folding (8,10). The folding has folded from the upper edge (3) to the down, and in the middle of the folding (9), the folding is unfastened and a little bit raised (6) ahead (FIG. 1E, FIG. 6D). In the figure (FIG. 1C) describes the box from underneath, and there this the area of the box (9) is discerned a little bit outward. It is possible to do the cut (5) to the front side of the box which helps the pressing by finger.

Following represent the innovation which has applied by different boxes, because the innovation can adapt to use for boxes, in different forms and sizes, examples make clear technical details in bigger scale; so that we can describe these in paper. In figure (FIG. 2A) presents the box type which opens from from the corner, there is the threshold (1) in the lid and there is the inner shell (3), where is the the folding (6), and it opens in figure (FIG. 2B). In figures (FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B) present the same box type, but there is the folding (6) in the lid and the threshold (1) in the inner shell.

In the figures (FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B and FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B) present the detailed structure of so-called flip-top box in cross-section which has presented from the side, when the threshold (1) is in the lid and the folding (6) is in the box. The threshold can install also to the open box (FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B), and the whole latch mechanism can install to down side in the box, and the limit (7) of the lid goes deeply to down side.

In the figures (FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B) present a box, where the threshold (1) is in the lid, and the folding (6) is in the outer shell. In the figures (FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B) present same kind of box type, but there is the folding in the lid, and the threshold (1) is in the box.

In the figures (FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B and FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B) has presented again so-called flip-top style box, but there is the threshold (1) in the lid, and the folding (6) is in the box.

In the figures (FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, FIG. 12A, FIG. 12B) make clear the box also with cross-section from the side, there the sheet (2) or similar part has fastened from the both ends, one end inside (13) the box and an other to the end of the lid (14), so that the sheet (2) or similar part is in free unfastened space. In the figures (FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, FIG. 12A, FIG. 12B) little boxes has packed (12) in layers, and when pressed from point (4),the lid opens and in the same time the sheet (2) draws little packages from the box a little bit.

The latch mechanisms accommodate with boxes in described way, when the lid locks up with a little help of the hand and then we can hear a little voice of snap which is the sign of locking. When press the point (4), the lid is elastic to inner side a little bit and the lid opens. Of course, it is possible to use this kind of box without elastic sheet (2), or sheets, or fibre,or fibres or similar, when the box works only by latch mechanism, and pressing the point (4) the latch mechanism opens, but the lid has to lift by hand.

According to the invention to open the box which changing its shape and the latch mechanisms can install for all kinds of everything boxes, to design boxes by invention. These kinds of boxes which open by changing its shape can use among other things for packing of candy-, cigarette-, cigar-, cosmetic-, perfume-, medicine-, watch-, jewellery-, and foodstuffboxes and electrical applience boxes and other solid material boxes and for fashion bags. 

1.-7. (canceled)
 8. A covered cellulose box having a self-opening lid and latch mechanism comprising: a box having a container body defining an internal cavity and a lid attached to the container body by a hinge biased to a normally open position by a spring, the lid having a nib spaced from the hinge; a decorative cover formed of sheet of material attached to an outer surface of the box; and an inner liner oriented within the box adjacent to an opening formed by the container body internal cavity, the inner liner having a fold which cooperates with the lid nib to maintain the lid in a closed position when the fold and the nib are engaged; wherein, when a pair of opposed regions on the outer surface of the closed box are squeezed together, the fold disengages from the nib allowing the lid to hinge open, when the a pair of opposed regions are released the lid can be closed again.
 9. The box of claim 8 wherein the inner liner is attached to the container body.
 10. The box of claim 8 wherein the spring is formed of an elastic sheet which spans the hinge between the container body and the lid. 